Checking balance is red

Question

This is just driving me mad.  I will try to keep this short but happily add any needed details. My current online checking balance is over $8000; however, as shown in my register, the balance is red, to the tune of -$15,000. I'm using the latest release of Q4Mac Version 7.5.1 (Build 705.51946.100). I don't use Quicken bill pay but do use Bank of America online bill pay. I don't manually enter anything into the quicken register; I let all transactions download and reconcile. It all checks out, but seeing a huge discrepancy makes me wonder what's wrong.  How can it reconcile but show red, especially with a positive online balance?  I've said this before - I have used Quicken for over 25 years. I started with Windows, and a feature I relied on was how the register would reflect bills scheduled through BoA bill pay so I could see my projected balance if I might be overdrawn. All I expect is the register to reflect the actual balance. I'm not adding anything manually to throw it off. Please suggest what could be wrong.

4pickering · Answer

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20411280#Comment_20411280

The filter settings are clear. Thanks for that tip.  So I seem to have solved the mystery, but I must admit I'm confused. In Q4W, all my transactions would appear when I reconciled with the bank, and there would be an R symbol after doing so.  When I migrated to Q4M, I guess I didn't notice as I clicked through the screen to reconcile, the second screen listed checks that cleared, and I was supposed to manually mark them checked (Q4W, if I recall, had a single check box that auto-marked these and I was used to that).  I just checked everything showing in the window, and it added a Reconciled Adjustment that correct the balance.  I have to admit that everything entered in the register (either automatically or manually) is reconciled. I still question why my account needs this Reconciled Adjustment - the entries were added upon download and the numbers add up?  Seems like I just was missing the step to manually check off what cleared.

jacobs · Answer

I also note you say you do nothing manually in the register, and all transactions download and reconcile. Are you not doing a monthly reconciliation between Quicken and your bank account? Assuming you've checked and have no date or other filters set in this register, and the register is sorted in date order, I think you need to go back to some point in time when you know the balance in Quicken and the balance in your checking account agree, and then work forward from there to find the source of the discrepancy. For instance, if you have or can download a November 30 bank statement, compare it you your Quicken balance as of that date — making allowance for any transactions which might be in Quicken on or before that date which weren't yet posted on the bank statement on that date. If November 30 checks out, then move forward to December 31 and do the same thing. If November 30 doesn't match, then can you jump back 3 months or 6 months or a year to find a month which does work?

Quicken Anja · Answer

Hello @4pickering,

To start with, I would check your register filter settings.

Please refer to this support article for guidance.

Hope this helps!